"How different everything is from last year," I say honestly. "How much has changed. How I ended up here when six months ago I thought my life was completely over."
Jett's hand finds my hair and his fingers start running through it gently. The gesture is automatic now, something he does without thinking when we're close like this.
"Your life wasn't over," he says. "It was just transforming into something better."
Pine emerges from the bedroom wearing dark jeans and a henley that shows off his tattoo sleeves. His black hair is pushed back from his face. His dark eyes find me immediately and soften in that way they do when he looks at me.
"Wine?" he asks, holding up a bottle.
"Yes," I say immediately. "Definitely wine."
He moves into the kitchen and returns with four glasses and the bottle already open. The wine is red and rich, the kind that costs more than I would ever spend on myself but that Pine insists is worth it for special occasions.
Cassian appears from the kitchen carrying a tray loaded with food. Cheese and crackers and olives and some kind of dip that smells incredible. He's still wearing jeans but he's put on a grey sweater that makes his eyes look even more striking than usual.
"Dinner in thirty minutes," he announces, setting the tray on the coffee table. "But I figured we should start celebrating now."
Pine pours wine into each glass with careful precision. He hands them out one at a time, making eye contact with each of us as he does. When he hands me mine, his fingers brush against my hand and linger there for just a moment.
"To new beginnings," Pine says, raising his glass.
"To family," Cassian adds, settling on the couch on my other side so I'm sandwiched between him and Jett.
"To Sharon," Jett says, his arm tightening around my shoulders. "Who took a chance on three alphas who didn't deserve her but got lucky anyway."
"To us," I say, raising my own glass. "To this pack. To this life. To whatever comes next."
We drink and the wine is perfect. Smooth and rich with just enough complexity to make it interesting without being overwhelming.
Pine settles on the floor in front of the couch, his back against my legs. I immediately reach down and run my fingers through his hair without thinking about it. He leans into the touch like a cat seeking affection.
"Tell me about your favorite moment from this year," Pine says, tilting his head back to look up at me.
I think about it while sipping my wine. There are so many moments to choose from. The first time I felt safe in this house. The first wedding I planned. The first time I realized I was actually in love with all three of them instead of just falling.
"The wedding," I say finally. "Tangle Peak's wedding. Not just the event itself but the moment right before the ceremony started when everything clicked into place. When I realized I had actually created something meaningful. That I wasn't just coordinating details but making magic happen for people who deserved it."
"That was a good moment," Cassian agrees. His hand finds my knee and rests there, warm and grounding. "Watching you in your element like that. Watching you be brilliant and not even realize it."
"What about you?" I ask, looking at each of them. "What was your favorite moment?"
"The first time you stayed the night," Jett says immediately. "Not for the obvious reasons, though those were great. But waking up and seeing you there. Realizing you weren't going to run. That you were choosing to stay."
"The chess game after Ben's text," Pine says. "When you were processing everything and scared but still willing to hope. Still willing to show up for him even though it terrified you. That's when I knew you were stronger than you gave yourself credit for."
"Every morning," Cassian says simply. "Every single morning I wake up and you're there and I get to remember that this is real. That you're ours and we're yours and this isn't something I'm going to wake up from."
My throat tightens with emotion. These three alphas who somehow see me more clearly than I see myself. Who love me not despite my flaws but including them.
"I love you," I say, and my voice breaks slightly. "All of you. So much that sometimes it scares me."
"Good scared or bad scared?" Jett asks, echoing the question he asked months ago.
"Good scared," I say. "The kind that comes from having something worth losing. The kind that means I'm actually invested instead of just going through the motions."
Pine shifts on the floor, turning to face me fully. His dark eyes are intense as they study my face.
"Can I see it?" he asks quietly.
